Oral Polypodium leucomotos increases the anti-inflammatory and melanogenic responses of the skin to different modalities of sun exposures: a pilot study

Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2016 Jan;32(1):22-7. doi: 10.1111/phpp.12209. Epub 2015 Nov 6.

Abstract

Background: The effects on the inflammatory and tanning responses of sunlight/UVR of several oral antioxidants are still unknown.

Objective: Assess intensity, time course of the inflammatory, and tanning responses to increasing dosages of solar-simulated radiation (SSR) at baseline and after oral supplementation of an extract of Polypodium leucotomos (PLE).

Methods: Ten healthy subjects underwent phototesting with SSR with a visual and spectrophotometrical assessment of the responses with or without daily oral supplementation of two tablets containing 240 mg of PLE for a total of 15 days.

Results: Polypodium leucotomos supplementation induced a significant increase of the minimal erythema dose (MED), a faster recovery of the inflammation following the delivery of super-erythemal doses, and no significant changes of the minimal melanogenic dose (MMD). Spectrophotometric assessment of the Δa* in test areas exposed to equally doses of SSR did not show differences.

Conclusions: Polypodium leucotomos supplementation increased the MED and induced a faster recovery of the inflammation and a stronger tanning response with no changes in the melanogenic threshold.

Keywords: Polypodium leucotomos; inflammation; solar-simulated radiation; spectrophotometry; tanning.

Publication types

  • Retracted Publication